marazul

You might want to learn more about which wineries they plan to visit. Some are very scenic chateaux, some might be more farm like. This could affect your decision. A close reading of the TripAdvisor posts will give you an idea of the wineries visited. Most wine tour companies tend to have arrangements with a few vintners to take their clients to.

You could also consider a more traditional guided sightseeing tour visiting Aix and Cassis. You can enjoy the very fine wines from the region at lunch. Either a Bandol rose or a white Cassis.

Hi Millenia -

my suggestion was to fly to Milan (not stay there) and go on to the lake region and then drive to Venice by way of Lake Garda and Verona. But we love Prague, it is everything you hope for. The only thing you didn't get right was the idea that it would not provide the "bustling culture" of Rome, etc. Yes, it will. We spent 5 days there last year and did not run out of things to do in Prague and surroundings. (BTW - we stayed at the Hotel Unitas shown on the video clip above. It was great.)

I had mentioned before that there are no direct flights from Prague to Venice, but there are some easy one-stop routes. If you can, add a "travel day" to your plans so you do not shortchange your stay in Prague or Venice.

My only question is what are your future travel plans? If you are thinking of a river cruise or a driving vacation in Northern Europe, then save Prague for that and go to the lakes now. If you are planning to be in Italy and the Med area later on, then save the lakes for that and go to Prague now

.

If you are not planning on returning to Europe any time soon, then, go to Prague.

PS - I just saw your other post. Nice is a four hour drive from Milan. You can visit Nice (love it, I used to live there for a while), then go to some of the lakes on your way to Venice. Venice is a good three hours from Milan (without the stops, of course). Lots of options!

I had mentioned Aigues-Mortes and I do like it a lot. It is quite beautiful. The ramparts are well worth visiting. As for the shops. etc that buggins mentions, it is no different from Carcassonne. The price of a scenic village. Then again, it is not nearly as crowded as Carcassonne.

One thing to buy in Aigues-Mortes is fleur de sel. Harvested in salt ponds right outside A-M.

And I do like Stes. Maries very much. Just different. Just drive some of the small roads in the Camargue to get a feel for the place.

Hello!

In 2013, our cruise stopped in Barcelona. Based on recommendations here, I joined the "Friends of Sagrada" and we skipped the lines and saved a ton of money. We are going back this summer, and this morning when I went back to look at getting them again I noticed that it said "residents only" for the family ones. Does anyone know if this has recently changed? Or are we still able to get the Friends of Sagrada family membership being in the States?

You might be able to renew your "friends" membership. When our year was up, they sent us an email about renewal. We did. I suggest you email them at amics@sagradafamilia.org. They usually reply within two days.

Hopefully that will work. If not, and if you qualify as a senior, you can get two "reduced" memberships for 20 euros each. These are not limited to Spain residents.

Silly women,

Only book on board those trips that are just for the day

Never leave to chance an overnight and a fight excursion.

Seabourn would have helped if there was a space but it s a valuable lesson learned.

Some excursions also state that they are limited. An example would be a zodiac boat trip in the Flam fjords. Many of the "active" excursions are limited because additional vehicles may need to be pre-booked, such as zodiacs, 4x4 jeeps, etc.

Ah, the rond-points! Traditionally, the right of way was for vehicles ENTERING the circle. This is called "priorite a droite" (right of way on the right) and it still applies to, practically, all intersections and side roads! In recent years, the French have made a distinction between "rond point a sense giratoire" or "carrefour (crossroad) giratoire" or "those despicable English roundabouts" and the traditional rond points. The giratoires look the same as any other rond point, but the difference is the right of way is for vehicles inside the circle (giratoire), or "priorite a gauche" - right of way on the left. The traditional rond points conserve the old rule of "priorite a droite" that give the right of way to entering vehicles.

How can you tell the difference? Well, the "giratoires" are preceded by a triangular traffic sign showing three arrows in a counter-clockwise circle. Some of these signs even add: "Vous n'avez pas la priorite" or You do not have the right of way.

Traditional rond points normally have a structure - fountain, statue, etc - in the center and no triangular sign. It will have a circular sign or no sign at all. The most famous rond point is the Etoile (Arc de Triomphe) in Paris. Many of the old style roundabouts are preceded by a round sign showing the circle of three arrows. If there is no sign at all, it is priorite a droite!

Here are pictures of the signs:

https://www.maif.fr/conseils-prevention/sur-la-route/prevenir-les-risques-routiers/adapter-conditions-circulation/circuler-sur-rond-point/circuler-sur-rond-point.html?xtmc=rond_point&xtcr=2

The moral of the story is: ALWAYS look for cars entering from the right! Someone may be making a geopolitical statement using the "priorite a droite" regardless of the signs.

Have fun!

How to eat tapas:

http://suitelife.com/2014/05/19/tapas-guide-in-barcelona/

You seem to be interested in many villages in the Luberon. Access would be easiest from Avignon. Why not do 3-4 nights there and then move to Marseille for the rest of the week? You can get to Aix, Arles and Nimes easily from Marseille.

Yes, you need a week, but don't include your air travel day in the week. Ideally, 4 days at each place.

If you are comfortable driving, I would also suggest flying to Milan and exploring the lake region. Lake Como (Como, Bellagio, etc) and Lake Maggiore (the Borromean Islands) are beautiful. Also, while driving to Venice, stop at Sirmione at the base of Lake Garda, it has one of the most beautiful settings ever. You can make short stops at Verona and Padua before you reach Venice.

Cinqueterre is also quite doable. The question is where you fly in to (closest is Pisa) and whether you can get a direct flight there. If you go, stop in Parma and/or Bologna on the way to Venice.

If you decide to fly direct to Venice, you can rent a car and head South to Ravenna, San Marino (another country!) and Urbino. Or North to the Dolomites as suggested.

You have a lot more flexibility driving. If you decide to use trains, your choices may be more limited from a practical point of view.

There is no comparison between Cadiz and Seville. I would opt for Cadiz only after several days in Seville!

Prague is wonderful. There are no direct flights PRG-VCE, but you should get very reasonable 1-stop connections.

BTW - lots of info on Prague on the river cruise boards.

Enjoy!

Of course, your choice and your budget. But some travelers would rather pay for the convenience, especially if they have physical problems. It is one of the many available options and it bears mentioning along with the others. You can't assume that all posters on these boards have the same requirements or preferences.

Also consider Arles. It is half way (more or less) between Avignon and Marseille. It would make it easier for day trips in the direction of Avignon and Les Baux, or to Nimes, or to the wonderful Camargue region with Ste. Maries de la Mer and Aigues-Mortes. Aix is also easy access from Arles. Look them all up in a map and plot more or less the center of what you want to see. And, also, lots to see, restaurants, hotels, etc at Arles.

Should we get a money belt or hidden pocket to carry our passport, euros, credit cards etc.? My husband brings a his backpack, but readings have suggested the money belts, etc. Problem is husband wears a belt with shirt tucked in, so the money belt has to go inside pants. Don't know if this is possible.

Money belts are meant to go inside your clothing. The outside pouches or fanny packs are not that safe. I saw some gypsy kids in Florence rob a lady's outside pouch in a fraction of a second. They approached her and had the pouch unzipped and the wallet gone in an instant. Several people around yelled at them, but they were way too quick.

And backpacks are easy pickings. Too easy to cut open or be snatched away in crowds.

Depending on your needs and budget, there are limo companies that will drive 4 people from Civitavecchia to Venice for about 800 euros. It would include two or three sightseeing stops along the way if you choose. When you consider the time, aggravation, physical fitness, carrying luggage, changing trains, renting cars, etc, etc, it could be something to be considered.

This is a bit of overkill. I agree with Turtles06 about each carrying a different credit card, so if one is stolen, the other's credit card is still good.

 

3 or 4 ATM cards with different accounts? Way overkill.

Truly, it depends on how much and where you travel.

Also, many couples may have both joint and separate accounts for a number of reasons, so it is not a big deal to get them.

It is only overkill if you don't need them.

One more thing to add for couples. If you have an ATM card linked to a joint account, neither person will be able to access the account it if you need to cancel it because of theft, loss, etc. It is best to have three ATM cards: one for a joint account, one for an account only in wife's name, and one for an account only in husband's name. Then, you will still have access to other accounts if any of the others are compromised. Make sure the different accounts are not "linked" to each other or to the same savings account. Or, better yet, have the accounts in different banks or credit unions. (We do that too.)

The same thing applies to credit cards. You should each have one in your name only in addition to any joint cards.

And it is always a good idea to leave one of the "single" cards in the room safe if possible. Don't carry all of them with you.

Choosing between the Crystal Serenity which stops at Taormina in Sicily, while the Oceania Nautica stops at Trapani. You can't get to all the sites from either one of them. Taormina: Mt. Etna, Trapani: Erice. Any recommendations.

Thanks, Kathy

Taormina/Mt Etna/Crystal hands down if you haven't been to Sicily before.

By the way, Crystal anchors at Giardini Naxos down the mountain from Taormina.

Another possibility is Salerno. You can get there by train. It is at the base of the Amalfi Coast and you can use the inexpensive ferries to go from one town to another and to Capri. It will not be crowded at the end of April. Hotel prices in Salerno are much lower than on the Amalfi coast or in Sorrento.

Does anyone have something out of the ordinary? None of the tourist track places in Umbria or Tuscany, no Florence/Pisa… And, most definitely someplace no more than $150/night for 1 person…

Check the area of the Castelli Romani just Southeast of Rome. Some of the towns are Castel Gandolfo, Frascati, Albano Laziale, Grottaferrata and Ariccia. There is beautiful scenery in the hills around Lake Albano and Lake Nemi, not many tourists and real Italian life. Driving around them is easy and you do not have to drive through Rome to get to the airport.

Try the train instead of flying. Much better connections all over Europe. About the same time if you consider taxis to and from airports, security, etc.

I've driven this many times.

MC to Nice - 25-35 minutes depending on route

Nice-St P - 25 minutes (could get some traffic)

StP-Antibes - 25-30 minutes

Antibes- Eze - 45 minutes (plus could get some traffic going through Nice)

Eze- MC - 15 minutes

I would follow that itinerary. You want to be in Nice in the morning to see the Flower market (all veg stalls close by 1 pm, some of the flowers stay open until later). Then St Paul because it will have fewer tourists in the morning than in the afternoon. Antibes will be the same regardless of the time. Eze is best as last stop because it is so close to the ship and you will not have to worry about traffic going back. (Also, it is easier to drive between Antibes and Nice in the afternoon than between StP and Nice beacause of the traffic.) Lunch can be either at St P or Antibes. More choice and more reasonable in Antibes, but it depends on the timing. Don't over think it.

The absolute safest, traffic wise, would be first Eze, then Nice (you should be there before noon), then St P and Antibes last. The return then has to be on the autoroute from outside Antibes to Monaco to get you back on time. But the first way should work just fine and it is prettier because of the ride from Nice to Eze on the Moyenne Corniche has better views in that direction. I would only do this if there are any major events in the area the day you are there.

Bon voyage!

The "look" of the website has also changed. They probably did a botched update without much testing.

Ditto to whatever Hank says.

Here is the story on the suggestion on the Gorges du Loup and Gourdon - and it helps if you bring up a Google map of the area. The scenery and the village are lovely. But it does take you away from the shore and farther from Monaco. The advantage to the touring company is Parking. The Gorges is a drive around the river Loup. Gourdon is on that road with hardly any tourists at all (you cannot replace it with any other place if you go on that road.). No parking issues whatsoever for a 15-passenger minivan. The other places are crowded and, as you will see, the van will have to park at a paid lot or drive away until the guide calls the driver. That will be the main use of having the guide. Hank is right, the guide is not really needed for seeing the villages, but they can always add value, such as telling you stories about Yves Montand playing boules in St. Paul, history of the area, etc, etc.

You have not been to the area and you will probably be more satisfied with the Nice-StP-Antibes-Eze visits. For what is worth, stick to your plan.

Suggestion - check with the other company that quoted you the same price. They might pose fewer objections to doing a perfectly reasonable 8-hour tour.

I agree with Hank, the drive from Monaco to St Paul is only 45 minutes. Have you priced two minivans for 6 people each instead of a large one?

Do skip Gourdon, it is lovely, but not nearly as beautiful as St Paul and it will add a lot of time to the trip. It is about 35-40 minutes from St Paul to Gourdon. Hank's suggestion of Nice-St Paul- Eze makes a lot of sense. If time allows, go to Antibes after St Paul. Or, else, Nice-St Paul-Antibes and if time allows, Eze. In that way you will see one hilltop village (St Paul) and one seaside village (Antibes) instead of two hilltop villages. In all likelihood, you will get a good view of Eze along the Moyenne Corniche either going or coming back to Monaco.